2008 Archiveshttp://jibblescribbits.com/table/2008-articles/december/
Sun, 02 Aug 2015 18:20:10 +0000Joomla! 1.5 - Open Source Content Managementen-gbClosing up shophttp://jibblescribbits.com/2008-articles/december/closing-up-shop.html
http://jibblescribbits.com/2008-articles/december/closing-up-shop.htmlSorry folks nothing more to see here. See it was a nice run, but I just got a brand new Xbox 360, with NHL '09 and a brand new Sakic ''04 Western Conference all-star jersey (quite possibly the greatest sweater ever made), meaning I might just spend the next year or so sitting ion my couch playing NHL.09.

(strangely enough, mine doesn't have the Avs logo on the left shoulder. Weird. Not a complaint though I think this particular sweater looks better without it)So sorry folks you just can't compete with Xbox. If it makes you feel any better I told the Jibblewife the same thing. She's trying to punish me by making me sleep on the couch, but the jokes on her. That just makes the Xbox more accessible. Now my days can be exactly like this:

(this is where a clip of the scene in Mallrats of Brodie waking and playing as The Whale on his Sega Genesis should be. I could not spend anymore that 5 minutes searching for it on Youtube without realizing that searching is keeping me from the actually appreciate it. I could find the script though so here's the dialogue:)

Well Raycroft is 5-1 and Budaj is 11-15. Case closed Raycroft just wins games, but it has nothing to do with his actual performance, the Avs play better in front of him. Why? because he's just that lucky. On the bottom of his skates aren't blades bu horseshoes and let's hope he never gets cut, because I heard his blood is actually pureéd 4-leaf clovers. And his aura. I mean the guy just oozes "winning". No seriously. I think Smith dropped his stick just because he was in awe of Raycroft.

There's just no other way to explain Raycrofts win-loss record, other than the Avs want to win so badly for him. Case closed.

But I'm going to throw this extremly crazy idea out there. I know it's not nearly as logical as "the team just plays harder for Raycroft" theory but hear me out for a second.

The Avs win against teams they are better than, and lose against teams they are worse than, and very little of that is dependant of who is in net this season.

Before you try to throw me in the loony bin for crazy talk here me out for a second. Yes Raycroft's is 3-1 in games against teams with a worse record than the Avs. And yes he also beat Philly while they were in the midst of a 6 game losing streak. On the same note in games Budaj starts against teams that have worse records than the Avs he's 6-1-1. It seems like the Avs play better against, here's the kicker, crappier teams and worse against *wait for it... wait for it...* good teams.

See the Avs are also 7-14 against teams that have better records than the Avs, regardless of who's in goal. Is it possible, just possible that the problem lies on an erratic 2nd line and two fourth lines?

Now I know this lies in the improbable idea that the Avs sometimes don't have very good efforts and that against teams that aren't very good a period of putrid play doesn't come back to bite them in the ass, but good teams will take advantage and score goals against them.

This would mean coming to grips with the fact that the Avs aren't a very good team, can't clear pucks out of their zone very well at all, and look confused under coach Granato. It would mean admitting that when a team is as mediocre as this then everyone needs to eb held accountable instead of just scapegoating the goalie with generic criticisms like "rebound control"and "he's out of position" that sound smart but are really no better than political talking points.

Wait that's way too complex to be accurate. The team must just not play very hard in front of Budaj.]]>jibblescribbits@gmail.com (Jibblescribbits)DecemberTue, 23 Dec 2008 23:56:00 +0000Happy Holidayshttp://jibblescribbits.com/2008-articles/december/happy-holidays.html
http://jibblescribbits.com/2008-articles/december/happy-holidays.htmlHappy Holidays to all, I hope Santa brings Dion Phaneuf the lump of coal he gave Sean Avery last season]]>jibblescribbits@gmail.com (Jibblescribbits)DecemberTue, 23 Dec 2008 20:18:00 +0000More thoughts on Raycroft starting.http://jibblescribbits.com/2008-articles/december/more-thoughts-on-raycroft-starting.html
http://jibblescribbits.com/2008-articles/december/more-thoughts-on-raycroft-starting.htmlWhat I am more concerned about is the way it's been handled. I think a goaltending contraversy is the absolute last thing this team needs right now, and I think the way Raycroft has been announced as a starter is a recipe to start one. I haven't seen any proclimations by Tony G that this Raycroft's start is a reward for his strong play and not a punishment for Budaj. Or a little bit of both. If he had announced it at a daily press conference saying something like:

"You know we've really ridden Budaj a little too hard the last month or two and he probably could use another night off. Since Andrew played very well against Detroit we also want to reward him with more playing time. We think Thursday in Tampa is the ideal time to give Boods a break and get Andrew some playing time."

Even if he has opened a goalie competition (which would be ludicrous at this point, but we won't get into that) saying something along those lines would allow him to have a few games to judge without the full blown media spectacle of a goalie contraversy. By not saying anything Granato has allowed speculation to run rampant, especially since there are conflicting reports on his reasoning, with Dater speculating it's a demotion for Budaj and Sadowski reporting it's a reward for Raycroft.]]>jibblescribbits@gmail.com (Jibblescribbits)DecemberThu, 18 Dec 2008 16:34:00 +0000Really!?!http://jibblescribbits.com/2008-articles/december/really.html
http://jibblescribbits.com/2008-articles/december/really.htmlto be fucking kidding.

He's getting benched... for a fluky goal? Seriously?

For a goalie with a .870 save percentage (not that it's the most reliable statistic, but it's the best there is). Just what this team needed, a manufactured goalie contraversy.]]>jibblescribbits@gmail.com (Jibblescribbits)DecemberWed, 17 Dec 2008 23:45:00 +0000Acceptable collateral damagehttp://jibblescribbits.com/2008-articles/december/acceptable-collateral-damage.html
http://jibblescribbits.com/2008-articles/december/acceptable-collateral-damage.htmlThey didn't show a lack of effort, they didn't look disinterested. They looked tired and were a step slow all night. They were slow to tie up Knuble on the PP goal. They were slow to get to loose pucks. Their passes were slow. All the result of a tired team. They didn't give up and they didn't stop trying. They just looked tired.

This was an acceptable loss. One of those ones that should be filed in the "every team has a bad game" drawer and forgotten about. If they play poorly against Tampa on Thursday, pick away, but let's not make more out of a loss than needs to be. Yes the Avs have had too many bad games this season, but this one wasn't characterized like some of their other bad games. There was no 40 minute effort. There was no mind-numbingly inexplicable lack of cohesion. The frustrating aspects of this club were not present last night (other than the continuing adventure that has become clearing the puck from their own zone).

I have never seen a team picked apart after every loss the way this Avs team is picked apart. When did I start cheering for the Leafs?]]>jibblescribbits@gmail.com (Jibblescribbits)DecemberWed, 17 Dec 2008 17:36:00 +0000Highlights from last nighthttp://jibblescribbits.com/2008-articles/december/highlights-from-last-night.html
http://jibblescribbits.com/2008-articles/december/highlights-from-last-night.htmlsuspiciously gloriously quiet Les Ailes blog today:

I refuse to watch another Wings game until the 1st of the year. I’m not putting effort into watching them if they won’t put effort into playing.

...

I am just tired of the Wings thinking they can turn it on in the third period and get away with a win. The goaltending has to be better. The defense has to be better. I know last year we whined about the lack of a 60 minute effort. I would take the efforts we got last year over the efforts we are getting this year.

...

And Lebda just needs to be traded. That was a Pylon-like screw up. Lebda just officially joined the very special place I have in my heart that only Lilja occupies.

(This one was added for the sheer lunacy of it. It was stick his hand on the puck or let it go in the net. He obviously made the right choice. It just worked out so gloriously. )...

Did they save too much for Thursday’s game?Seems like half of the team has been mailing it in so often that theymust qualify for bulk rates.

...

I’d tell this lazy ass team I don’t want to see’em at the rink til the next game. Take your half ass efforts and text it in. Ya dont work a full game as a team you don’t deserve to practice as a team either. YOu want to practice? Go find a pond or a backyard rink.Good luck Thursday girls

...

Well. Beaten by the Dive.

I for one am looking forward to a restful Christmas away from my television and away from this team.

And of course, my favorite because it highlights every Les Ailes fan's instinctual reaction to adversity:

Something will be set on fire. Very soon.

Yes! Yes! Oh let me taste the tears. The tears are so yummy and sweet. Oh the tears of unfathomable sadness. Yummmy Yummy.

]]>jibblescribbits@gmail.com (Jibblescribbits)DecemberTue, 16 Dec 2008 21:25:00 +0000449http://jibblescribbits.com/2008-articles/december/459.html
http://jibblescribbits.com/2008-articles/december/459.htmlAnd just like that, the clouds parted and there's sunshine and a newfound optimism in Avs land again. Sometimes all it takes is a strong win on the road against your arch-nemesis in which the team plays well in areas where it had struggled earlier.

All of a sudden the Avs are tied for the 8-seed with suddenly struggling Minnesota (and Phoenix and LA) , and they get league worst Tampa later this week. Don't look now but the Avs are also the hottest luke-warm team in the Northwest, gaining more points in their last 10 games than anyone else. The avs have also won 3 of their last 4, 2 against as of right now playoff teams.

Another positive from this game is that the Avs can finally tempt fate by playing Andrew Raycroft. Peter Budaj has played well, but he seemed to start to tire in his last few starts. He is tied for 3rd in games played for goalies. Also of note only 2 of the top 6 goalies in games played have save %'s over .900. Budaj being one of those 2 (Henrik Lundqvist being the other). The Avs need Raycroft to make the occasional start in order to be a good team this seasona nd take some of the pressure off of Budaj, and last night was the first time all season (despite him being 4-1) that Raycroft showed he can be a capable backup. Let's hope to see more of that.

And the final positive. The Avs beat a good team, who just so happens to be the defending Cup Champions. The Avs have really struggled against good teams this season as their only wins against playoff caliber teams have been: Buffalo*, Philly, Minnesota, and Vancouver (x2).Now they finally have a win over a bona-fide Stanley Cup contender in what was easily their biggest win of the season.

* Buffalo is only playoff caliber in the East, so it only kind of qualifies.]]>jibblescribbits@gmail.com (Jibblescribbits)DecemberTue, 16 Dec 2008 16:23:00 +0000Birthday presenthttp://jibblescribbits.com/2008-articles/december/birthday-present.html
http://jibblescribbits.com/2008-articles/december/birthday-present.htmlHappy Birthday Bill!!

Cheers!]]>jibblescribbits@gmail.com (Jibblescribbits)DecemberTue, 16 Dec 2008 03:29:00 +0000Why the Red Wings make me sad.http://jibblescribbits.com/2008-articles/december/why-the-red-wings-make-me-sad.html
http://jibblescribbits.com/2008-articles/december/why-the-red-wings-make-me-sad.htmlSee in the last three years there were excuses reasons I could point to to explain the Avs decent into mediocrity and Les Ailes continued excellence. You know:

Les Ailes de Rouge got lucky in the draft (Which is true)

The Avs got unlucky with the lockout and their salary structures hurt them more than Les Ailes (Also true)

The Avs got a bit unlucky (True again: the Avs have had major injury issues, most notably Steve Konowalchuks career-ending heart condition)

The Wings Les Ailes will crash as their draft picks get better contracts (possibly semi-true)

But we're in the 4th season after the lockout, and by now the Avs should have shaken off the effects of the lockout. The most egregious contracts are off the books (Theo's) and the Avs have had ample time to rebuild their lineup. Asking the Avs to return to dominant form in 3 seasons isn't a realistic, but they should be competing for at the very least the Northwest crown. I mean they competed for it last season.

Instead the Avs have gone through the motions and completed mediocre move after mediocre move. Even though I can't find it because the the blog archive search on the Denver Post blows chunks, somewhere in his pastAdrian Dater has cataloged the grievances this season well. The Avs latest offseason effort is looking more abysmal with every Andrew Brunette goal. they missed out on picking up Ilya Bryzgolov for peanuts because they wanted to make sure they got full value for Theo. I like Buds, but Bryzgolov is a better goalie (and havign both would be really nice right now). They didn't even interview Todd McLellan for their coaching vacancy, how's he doing?

The Avs have made some good moves too. I still think the Hannan and Smyth signings were good, and they have resisted trading away some prospects like Wolski and Svatos who have been pretty decent the last few years. The Avs have made good moves and bad moves which has turned them into a mediocre franchise. The Avs currently seem to be stuck in sports team purgatory, where they aren't good enough to cause excitement but not bad enough to rebuild. It's not an enviable place and it's my biggest worry as a sports fan. Being in sports purgatory is the easiest way to invoke apathy.

In fact the current Les Ailes/Avs matchup looks stunningly similar to a previous matchup of well-run franchise vs stunningly mediocre team: those late 90's early 00's Oilers-Stars matchups. The Oilers spent the better part of a decade being a perpetual whipping boy of a well run and very good Stars franchise. . While the Avs haven't faced Les Ailes in the playoffs nearly as much recently their futility against Les Ailes is strikingly similar. This game of good-move/bad move has turned the Avs into one of the franchises I used to pity the most.

Being perpetually mediocre is the worst fate that can befall a franchise in my opinion, and the Avs seem to have fallen there. Every time they play the Red Wings Les Ailes I am harshly reminded of this fact.]]>jibblescribbits@gmail.com (Jibblescribbits)DecemberMon, 15 Dec 2008 15:26:00 +0000